


The Lannisters of Tarth

by ChocoNut



Series: Many ways to say I love you [45]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Feels, Happy Ending, Post Season 8, Post canon, Reunion, jaime lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 06:57:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19290565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocoNut/pseuds/ChocoNut
Summary: Days after Brienne has given birth to a baby girl, she has a visitor.





	The Lannisters of Tarth

“What would you like to name her?” asked Selwyn Tarth, gazing at his granddaughter with a fond smile.

Brienne glanced down at the newborn in her arms, making up her mind at once. “Joanna,” she whispered, taking in the Lannister beauty the child was blessed with. Her nose, the shape of her face, her hair, everything was Jaime’s… but for her eyes.

Joanna had her mother's eyes.

+++++

Days went by, and Brienne became busier with the new entrant in her life, a new purpose she’d never known all along she’d be blessed with. King Bran had given her leave of absence to attend to her daughter, allowing her the freedom to return whenever she could.

“You look just like your father, you know,” she mouthed, smiling, kissing the infant’s tiny nose.

The new life she and Jaime had accidentally created reminded her of him every minute, and far from depressing her or sending her into fits of despair, the existence of a child who was a baby version of him comforted her. It felt like being close to Jaime once again. When she held her daughter, she could feel Jaime’s proximity to her. It was as if he was once more a part of her life. Contrary to what the world and her family and friends had assumed, she was far from bitter about his departure. She loved him, she would continue to love him until her last breath and the symbol of his love he’d left behind in her arms.

While Brienne was lost in thoughts about the man she loved and Joanna was merrily sucking her teats, oblivious of the storm raging in her mother’s mind, there came an interruption in the form of a knock on the door.

“Enter,” Brienne called out, assuming it to be her handmaiden who was expected to help her with the child.

“M’lady,” said her maid, “there’s someone to see you.”

Brienne sighed, wary of the number of visitors she attracted these days, all an effect, perhaps, of her now well-known prowess, her contribution in the war against the dead and her position of importance in the royal guard. “Not now, Joanna’s feeding,” she tried to avoid whoever it was.

“I could ask him to wait,” the girl suggested, refusing to relent.

“Maybe another day,” Brienne dismissed her again, disinclined to meet anyone at the moment.

“Lord Selwyn says it cannot wait,” the maid timidly objected, “the visitor is important.”

“Who is it?” Brienne inquired, her interest now piqued.

“He didn’t say, just told me that he had to see you.”

“What does he look like?”

The girl broke into a smile that said it all. “Tall, blond, handsome, striking green eyes,” she described the mysterious stranger with a dreamy look in her eyes, “seems to be a man of noble birth, m’lady, he has to be a lord from the looks of him.”

Brienne’s heart skipped a beat. _Could it be… No,_ she quickly admonished her mind for running amok with her wishful thinking, _it cannot be…_

“Show him in right away,” Brienne commanded her despite her confusion, filled with a sudden urge to meet this unnamed visitor.

The girl’s eyes dropped to the child in her arms. “But won't it be appropriate if he came in after a while, she’s still feeding--”

“Doesn’t matter,” Brienne interrupted her, wanting to waste no further time, “send him in as soon as you can.”

The handmaiden left with a short bow, leaving Brienne hoping against logic for the stranger to be who she thought it was.

And the gods were benevolent enough to grant her this wish.

“Brienne!”

He stood at the door, his eyes meeting hers, his gaze full of answers and regret and love and everything else she’d wanted to see in them.

“Jaime.” His name was the only thing that fell from her lips in an immediate response to him, his unannounced presence leaving her astounded, to describe how she felt at the very least. “You’re alive,” she blurted out, wanting to ascertain that the figure she saw was no apparition, nor a figment of her imagination.

Jaime took a step indoors, but faltered as soon as he noticed the babe at her breasts. “You’re--” he glanced up at her again, his face pale, the colour in his cheeks completely drained “--married?”

“I am,” she replied, smiling at her daughter and then at him, “how else could she have come into being?”

“I--” he hesitated, his stance indicating that he was ready to flee the room any minute, “I’m sorry, I should never have come back, I thought you might still--”

“Jaime,” she stopped him before he could make himself scarce.

He froze in his tracks, pausing for a moment before approaching her slowly. “I should have asked about you before barging into your bedchambers like this,” he mumbled when he was by her bedside, not quite able to meet her eyes, “I’m sure your husband wouldn’t want me here.”

“My husband,” she revealed, a smile forming on her lips, “stands right in front of me, and I’m damn sure he’d want you to be here.”

His expression was that of shock and his eyes leapt to meet hers, the confusion in them searching for answers in hers.

“She’s yours, Jaime,” she put his doubts to rest, her voice quivering as she looked at the child, “and so am I--”

“But you said you’re married--”

“To you, idiot,” she gently scolded him, allowing herself to smile properly after months, “I still am.”

With a relieved smile, he sank into the bed next to her. “For a moment I thought--”

“There never was another man in my life, nor will there ever be,” Brienne declared, letting her hungry eyes feast on her husband after a long time, knowing he was real this time and not an indispensable part of her dreams.

“I abandoned you,” he murmured, his voice guilt-ridden and full of remorse, “I left you sobbing in the middle of the night. I can’t apologize enough for what I did--”

“There’s no need for an apology, I’m not angry at you, nor was I ever bitter that you left me,” she said firmly. “Your departure from my life didn’t diminish my love for you even a bit,” she admitted, recalling how her love for him had only strenghtened after his _death._

“I don’t deserve you, wench.” His self-loathing made her heart go out to him.

“You do,” she consoled him, wishing she could drive away the guilt and despair etched deep in his mind. “ _W_ _e_ love you, Jaime.”

Jaime narrowed his brows. “We?”

“Joanna and I,” she whispered.

“You named her Joanna?” he asked, his eyes shining.

“What else would I call her? She has your flawless beauty.”

“And your astonishing eyes,” he observed, smiling tenderly as he played with her little blond curls. “I love you, Brienne, and I wish to be by your side for every minute of my life,” he said, shifting closer to her, “if you’ll have me,” he tentatively added just like he had at that training yard months ago.

“You’d better stick around this time,” Brienne warned, leaning in to kiss him, “until the end of our days,” she mouthed into his lips, reminding him of the vows they’d exchanged on a freezing winter night with the old gods to bless their union.

“Until the end of our days,” he agreed, deepening the kiss, making her ache for him and fall in love with him even more.

“So, Joanna,” he addressed his daughter, taking her in his arms when he’d let go of Brienne, “I wish you grow up to be like your mother.”

“I’d wish for her to have the best of us both,” said Brienne, believing at last that her chance for a life and a family was a real one. “Joanna Lannister,” she said out aloud with a contented sigh.

“Joanna Tarth Lannister,” he corrected her, planting a kiss on her forehead. “We could spend the rest of our lives here. The Lannisters of Tarth, we could call ourselves,” he suggested, pulling her into a gentle embrace, “our flawed, but loveable family. I’m far from perfect, Brienne, but I promise to be the best I can for you,” he breathed in her ear.

“The Lannisters of Tarth,” she repeated, enjoying the sound of it as she took the child from him and lay her on the bed by their side, “has a nice ring to it.” She let herself be properly held by her husband, surrendering to him, savouring the familiar comfort and warmth of his body. “And remember, Jaime, I don’t want anyone perfect.” She nuzzled his neck, blinking back the tears in her eyes, for this was the time to rejoice at his return, not weep for him. “I want you. Despite all your flaws, I love you.”

“And I love you, my dear wife,” he said, tightening his grip on her, “I always will.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and do let me know if you liked it.


End file.
